March 29 in History: From Vietnam War Withdrawal to Major Global Events”

Two months later, on March 29, 1973, the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam. At the same time, the government in Hanoi released the remaining American prisoners of war. This marked the conclusion of eight years of direct U.S. military engagement.

Despite the troop withdrawal, around 7,000 American civilian defense personnel remained in Saigon to provide technical and strategic support to South Vietnam. The conflict ultimately culminated in the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Key Events on March 29

• 1912: Robert Falcon Scott wrote his final diary entry in Antarctica.

• 1947: The Malagasy Uprising began against French colonial rule in Madagascar.

• 1971: Charles Manson was sentenced to death (later commuted by a U.S. court).

• 1974: Farmers in Xi’an, China discovered the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

• 2004: Ireland became the first country to ban smoking in workplaces nationwide.

• 2010: The Moscow Metro bombings killed 40 people in Moscow.

Notable Births

• 1943: Vangelis, composer

• 1940: Astrud Gilberto, singer

• 1959: Perry Farrell, musician

Notable Deaths

• 1772: Emanuel Swedenborg

• 1888: Charles-Valentin Alkan

• 1912: Robert Falcon Scott, British naval officer and explorer

• 1924: Charles Villiers Stanford

• 1982: Walter Hallstein, first President of the European Commission